Tag: Diplomatic History

The War That Ended Peace

The War That Ended Peace

Review by Travis Starnes The War that Ended Peace looks at the pre-war politics that lead up to World War I.  It examines in detail the politicians and military leaders, notable events and attitudes of those involved and how a world that seemed set on a lasting peace fell into one of the bloodiest conflicts the world has ever seen. McMillan is both a talented research and historian as well as a skilled writer, a combination that you really appreciate when you later read a history book where only half that equation is true. My first impression of the book is that he made some interesting conclusions.  Other fairly notable works on the period talk about how eager many of the leaders were to go to war, and how many saw it as a forgone conclusion.  Her focus on the various peace movements and beliefs of many that it was… Read more »

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Lincoln in the World

Lincoln in the World

Review by Travis Starnes Lincoln in the World looks at an area generally ignored by most of the books on one of the US’s most famous presidents.  The book examines Lincoln’s foreign policy and his place in global diplomacy; specifically how his actions on the world stage kept foreign governments from recognizing the Confederacy or stepping in on the side of the south. When I heard about this book I was intrigued.  There have been a lot of books written about President Lincoln and I feel like I have read most of them.  So I was happy to hear about an angle on the president I had not read before.  Getting into the book it became clear Peraino certainly did his research.  The world of international diplomacy can get pretty convoluted real fast and he manages to steer the reader through that world effectively. I particularly liked how he decided to… Read more »

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